Massachusetts School Building Authority marks milestone in Fall River

Thursday

Oct 17, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 17, 2013 at 5:02 PM

In its nine years, the Massachusetts School Building Authority has invested more than $10 billion in new school construction and renovation projects throughout the commonwealth, state and city officials announced Wednesday afternoon during a press conference in the Morton Middle School auditorium.

Michael Gagne

In its nine years, the Massachusetts School Building Authority has invested more than $10 billion in new school construction and renovation projects throughout the commonwealth, state and city officials announced Wednesday afternoon during a press conference in the Morton Middle School auditorium.

That investment includes 11 school projects in Fall River, for which the MSBA provided a little more than $222 million in funding. Those projects include construction the new Morton Middle School, Matthew J. Kuss Middle School and Spencer Borden Elementary School.
Morton was a $52 million project, for which the MSBA funded $37 million.

Created in 2004 by state statute, the MSBA is funded by the Massachusetts sales tax. One percent of the 6.25 percent sales tax goes toward MSBA projects.

Speaking at the press conference, Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman said he is a “huge believer in this region,” adding that investing in public education is the SouthCoast’s “ticket to long-term success.”

Fall River has one of the state’s higher unemployment rates, but, Grossman said, investing in education helps “give this region a sense its future is brighter than its been in a generation.”

“We are already seeing returns on the investment,” Grossman said. “My commitment is to keep the momentum going, to keep building a sense of optimism.”

“It’s hard to believe we’re approaching ten years... The system we had was broken,” said Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Fall River, Westport). “We would not be able to build wonderful education institutions like we have at Morton if we did not reform.”

“First of all put a three year moratorium on building new schools. Stop, let’s take care of our backlog. We pay up front. Communities no longer have to incur short term borrowing costs.

“I look forward to another 10 years of success from the Massachusetts School building Authority,” Rodrigues said.

Superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown called the new schools constructed with MSBA funds in the last decade “state-of-the-art learning environments.”

“Our children and our youth are capable of great things. I’d very much like to thank Treasurer Grossman and the MSBA,” Mayo-Brown said.

“I’m happy to be here to celebrate,” Mayor Will Flanagan said. “(The creation of the MSBA is) a reform we don’t brag about enough. It should be a model for the rest of our country.”

“There’s a lot of good news coming out of Fall River schools,” Flanagan continued, referring to recent turnarounds at the Kuss and Doran schools. “You know the Fall River school district is doing something right... It’s a credit to all those on the front line.”

“It started very simply,” MSBA Executive Director Jack McCarthy said. “(The state) gave us two jobs basically: Clean up inherited liabilities” and create a new fiscally disciplined program.

“We get involved early,” McCarthy said. “What used to happen is the district would build the school and then send the bill. Figure out who’s the most needy. The first thing we do create a feasibility study. Sometimes it’s new school, renovation or an addition.

“Most often, there’s been a very harmonious relationship” between the MSBA and school districts,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been able to work that way.”

The school district has submitted a Statement of Interest to renovate B.M.C. Durfee High School. Those renovations would include repairs to the building’s roof, walls, flooring, and heating and electrical systems, district Chief Operating Officer Tom Coogan said.

The MSBA has an annual funding limit of $500 million. So far, it has received 201 SOIs this year, including one to expand Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. McCarthy said the MSBA board will convene in November.

The board determines which projects it will fund based on need, according to McCarthy. It is not likely to make a decision on which projects to approve until its January meeting.